Literature reviews give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea and also demonstrates how your research fits into the field of education.

Use authoritative reference sources for  background information:

What is the impact of U.S. cotton subsidies on cotton exports of developing countries? (esp., Brazil)

What is the impact of changes in marginal tax rates on government revenues? (tax evasion?)

• Start with an overview from a reference source (broad to narrow approach) OR for the first topic begin with a great article from the EconLit database, like this one:

  Cotton Subsidies, the WTO, and the ‘Cotton Problem

• For the second we might consult an online reference source, such as Gale Virtual Reference Libraryfor basic definitions:

  INCOME TAX, HISTORY OF

  A tax consists of a rate and a base. Because income is the base for the income tax, a central question is: What constitutes income? Different theoretical concepts of income exist in economics, accounting, and taxation. The base of income to which the federal income tax rate structure applies is taxable income as constitutionally and statutorily defined. Thus, the concept of taxable income is grounded in theory and modified by political dynamics and administrative concerns.

  From its modern introduction in 1913, the rate structure for the individual income tax has been progressive, meaning that tax rates graduate upward as the base of taxable income increases. Different tax rates apply to ranges of income, called brackets. Over time, the number of brackets and tax rates that apply to them have varied greatly. The tax rate applied to the last dollar of taxable income earned by a taxpayer is called the marginal tax rate. Total income tax as a percentage of total taxable income is the average tax rate, whereas total income tax as a percentage of total economic income is the effective tax rate.

  from

  Topic overview

  Income Tax, History of

  Encyclopedia of Business and Finance

  Ed. Burton S. Kaliski. Vol. 2. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. p453-456. COPYRIGHT 2001 Macmillan Reference USA, COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale, Cengage Learning JEAN E. HARRIS